Critical Analysis' suck

I have never felt so inadaquate in regards to English.  I have always assumed that I was somewhat decent when it came to writing but this Communications class is kicking me in the butt.  I cannot write a Critical Analysis and up until now, I don't really understand the purpose of them in the business world.  If I were doing journalism, I could see its purpose (and I'm happy I'm not taking that as it is).  I'm looking at the article I'm supposed to be doing the critical analysis on and I'm barely seeing the stuff that I'm supposed to be seeing.  A checklist would be very helpful to go over for what is supposed to be in...and I'm going to try to make one for myself instead of stressing myself out on what goes in a critical analysis

Writing vent?

I realize now one of the reasons I don't write as much as I used to...more like two reasons.

I used to write all the time, mostly on my dad's old laptop, saved to floppy disc and then continued at school on one of the school computers, until we got a decent home computer.  The computer was always my domain.  Anything went wrong with it, everyone in the house is looking to me to get it fixed.  I kinda liked that.  Everything was still going well many years later, even when the house computer got used to play the Sims 2 more than writing but that was okay.  Either way, my imagination was engaged and I was happy.

And then NanoWriMo 2010 happened.  I knew I was going to be on the computer a lot because I had committed myself to write those 50k words so I informed my mom that I was going to be on the computer a lot and not playing "dolly baby" (as she would call the Sims 2 game).  My grandfather was (and still is) living with us.  I had taken a Sunday to work on my story, and had decided I would be spending the entire day in front of the computer.  Previously, I had taken to writing things out by hand and typing them up before work or during my breaks on the work computer.  On that "lovely" Sunday afternoon, when I felt like I was on a roll, my grandfather calls me from the top of the basement stairs to have a talk.  Really didn't want to because I knew I would forget where I was going in the story but it would be considered disrespectful if I didn't go up those stairs and find out what he wanted.

That's when he informed me I have a computer addiction.  I'm like "what are you talking about?"  Nowhere in the conversation, or any previous conversation, did he even ask what I was doing to actually make an informed diagnosis.  That started souring the idea of being downstairs on the computer, unless he was not around.

The next year, I bought myself a little netbook which worked well, I guess.  I did a bit more writing but due to the cramped nature of the keyboard, it was not comfortable and I soon stopped.  On top of that, the thing is currently as slow as molasses.  I even tried doing yesterday's blog update and was ready to tear my hair out.

Now that I've been out of work for well over a year, I still don't venture too near the computer in the basement very often.  I'm home and I have the time, but so is he.  I spend most of my time in my bedroom, he thinks I am on the verge of clinical depression.  Really?  I just want a job of some sort, a laptop, and somewhere else to hang out and I think that can increase the will to write explanation.

My head right is bursting with ideas for stories and I feel the need to let them out but I never feel comfortable writing when I feel like someone is watching over my shoulder.  It's reasons like this, that I would prefer to live on my own sometimes.  Only thing is that I think I'd miss not seeing the rest of my family on a regular basis.

10 Tips on Writing, as per Elmore Leonard

I was watching the news last night and heard about the passing of an author by the name of Elmore Leonard.  Unfortunately for me, I had never heard of him before this news announcement and after hearing about him, I wish I had.  He was an American author who wrote novels and screen plays for TV and movies.

What interested me most was his 10 Tips on Writing.  And for a matter of record, I am going to post them here (originally copied from an article on The Globe and Mail):

1. Never open a book with weather. If it’s only to create atmosphere, and not create a character’s reaction to the weather, you don’t want to go on too long.

Notice how he immediately gets the focus where it belongs: on character. We read not to learn that it’s a glorious day but to understand how a character feels when the day of her lover’s funeral is the kind of sultry day they loved best.

2. Avoid prologues.

Here, Mr. Leonard immediately breaks his own rule, citing a prologue that serves a purpose:

“There is a prologue in John Steinbeck’sSweet Thursday, but it’s okay because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about.”

3. Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in.

Amen!

4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb “said” … he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin.

Amen again!

5. Keep your exclamation marks under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.

Whoops!

6. Never use the words “suddenly” or “all hell broke loose.”

7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.

Mr. Leonard suggests writers notice the way Annie Proulx “captures the flavour of Wyoming voices in her book of short stories Close Range.” Again, a very sensible recommendation. However, this particular rule is worth questioning. While it is difficult for writers to use regional dialect without appearing to condescend to their characters, there are exceptions. James Lee Burke’s use of Cajun dialect in his Dave Robicheaux novels both brings his characters to life and honours them. I expect Elmore Leonard would give him a pass on this rule.

8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters. In Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants, what do the “American and the girl with him” look like? “She had taken off her hat and put it on the table.” That’s the only reference to a physical description in the story, and yet we see the couple and know them by their tones of voice, with not one adverb in sight.

Again, note that Mr. Leonard always chose exactly the right piece to illustrate his point.

9. Don’t go into great detail describing places and things.

10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

Mr. Leonard concluded his rules by citing his most important rule – the one that sums up all of the rules:

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

I think I am going to look up some of his books and read them for myself to see what his writing style was like.  All in all, I'm happy to learn from him.

P!nk Inspiration

Today is kind of odd. I didn't really feel like knitting. I only wrote a couple of pages. 

I've spent most of the day reading and listening to "Just Give Me A Reason" by P!nk and Nate Ruess.

I love this song far too much and it spawned an idea for JulNo as mentioned yesterday. Today while walking home (not really my home but it's starting to feel like it is), my mind fleshed out the idea more. I still don't think it will be the JulNo story due to he low likelihood that it will make it to 50k and impatience. I started writing it out by hand but I may just open up the netbook and move it over.

So I now head on over to continue writing.

To JulNo or not to JulNo

I got an email this morning reminding me that JulNo was coming up...I will admit it didn't even come to my mind at all but as the day progressed, I was starting to think that if I was going to do JulNo, what was I going to write about?

Going Back About Thirty Years

I woke up to a dream that I had gone about 30 years into the past. I was aware of it however the whole scifi idea of not letting anyone else know kept me from informing anyone. I don't know where this one was going but in my dream, I told Michael Jackson that Thriller was going to be a big hit.

One of those people

Breanna Sutton in the midst of 'in love' people while being single.

60 years too late

A scifi/fantasy story that I had started a couple of years back. This would be a rewrite from scratch with the same characters and an improved plot point. Main Character - Ryan Bellamy

Year One

One school year of a group of friends at a boarding school running from grade 7 to grade 12. I am very much leaning towards this one. It could easily go well past 50k. The problem would be the cohesiveness of the story. When I say there are a lot of characters, there are a lot.

Backpedal

After I wrote this one out, I realized that this could easily be incorporated into Year One, so it will be.

Just Give Me a Reason

This would be a songfic that would take place many years after Year One. Some of the characters would be crossing over. As much as I LOVE this one, I don't think that it would work as a 50k story.

The next question after all of this is whether or not to do this by hand or online. I got my netbook but it's noticeable slow. My computer is just not convenient right now. Maybe a notebook or a note pad and try to update the typed document once a week or so. Not looking forward to the hand cramps.

Knitting with Peacock Fury - Part 2

This Tulip pattern is knitting up so well! I've completed the cuff, the set-up and one leg repeat. I may make it to the heel flap by tomorrow evening. Of course I could have waited until tomorrow to do this update but I've gotten so used to posting an entry at this time, that I wrote it anyways.

I think it's really bad how much of a procrastinator I am. I have had this mini plot rolling around in my head for awhile and as of get, I still haven't written anything down but a character's name: Neil Harrow. I think I'll be going to the library early tomorrow since I seem to be very productive when I'm there.

Today was pretty much a bust

I didn't accomplish any of the goals I had in mind for the day. I still have half a repeat left before I reach the heel flap for the Ernie sock. In regards to the non-pecan pecan sandies, I softened the butter and discovered we have no eggs in the house. Colour me shocked and surprised.

I really didn't feel like knitting today there I didn't do as much as I wanted to accomplish. I have been knitting for almost 2 weeks straight, so I guess in the end that's not that bad.

I feel like writing though (this just happened like 5 minutes ago) it almost always works out for the best when it's about something I'm going through. There's already a tentative title called "Back-peddle". I think I'll have to go whip out the ol' netbook and have a go at it.

Seventeen Years Missing

Seventeen years of writing is missing.  Seventeen years of written backstories, family drama and saga.  Seventeen years of sitting at any computer I could get to just to type out a small portion of what was in my head has gone missing.  Seventeen years of mediocre at best stories about a family I loved to write about, my friends liked to read and the precedent of one of my major writing loves has all but disappeared.

How does one recouperate that kind of work?  Some could take it as a sign that this would be an excellent time to rewrite everything in your new style of writing, showing off you much improved writing skills.  However, nostalgia is hard to beat.  Reading of badly written stories brings back the memory of the joy of writing.

It'll be hard to say good-bye but when there isn't any choice, you can either take the loss with dignity or wallow at the loss.  Either way, it's not coming back.  Good-bye to seventeen years and hello to whatever comes next.

This seems so coincidental to me

I'm sitting in my room watching E!Talk while I knit a cardigan. I actually started paying attention when they were talking about President Obama and Michelle's daughters just to see how much they've changed in the past 4 years. Of course the show goes off in some stupid tangent as to who should be the first date of the oldest daughter and I started to tune out again. My attention was recaptured when they started talking about a book series for teens about a boarding school in Washington of politician children and other children of influential people.

Funny thing, I have a setup just like that in a story; a private boarding school with well-off/gifted children. This actually makes me want to really work on this story again, which in my mind would be a series of books anyways. I just don't know how to deal with the cast I characters. There are so many of them and none that I want to get rid of. Some have been set back to secondary or tertiary characters at least. Maybe I will jump in Nanowrimo this year, late though.